One of the common misunderstandings about how to make diversity work and its twin goal of defeating unconscious bias is the belief that there is something wrong with liking and even being proud of one’s culture. Pride is fine – in fact it is mostly a good thing. The problem arises when that pride – that affinity – results in the exclusion or denigration of others.
Pride in one’s culture, in fact, can make us more – not less – receptive to other groups. Skeptical? Try this little exercise and I wager you’ll know what I mean:
Step1: Take a minute to identify someone you know who has a lot of personal confidence. I don’t mean arrogance, just a quiet sense of belief in themselves.
Step 2: Now, ask yourself this question about them: Do they tend to be receptive to other people; do they like people even those that are different from themselves?
The answer to the second question will, in most cases, be “Yes.” Those of us who are confident in who we are, who – to put it simply – “like ourselves” don’t feel the need to denigrate others.
This same principle applies to those who have pride in their culture and who, in turn, have what we might term “cultural self-esteem.” The beauty of cultural self-esteem is that it means our belief in our culture stands on firm ground. Because we are on firm ground, we have the room to like other cultures. There is, quite simply, no need to put other cultures down; no need to defend against them. The result? Plenty of room to accept, appreciate, and grow close to groups that are different.
Sounds like cultural pride isn’t such a bad thing after all.
The material in this post reflects the ideas expressed in Dr. Thiederman’s book 3 Keys to Defeating Unconscious Bias and in the training videos Defeating Unconscious Bias: 5 Strategies and Gateways to Inclusion: Turning Tense Moments into Productive Conversations.
Sondra Thiederman can be contacted for virtual facilitation, and panel participation by clicking here or calling 619-583-4478. For additional information, go to this link to learn more about what Dr. Thiederman has to offer.
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